I believe I might have mentioned the incredibly exciting news about the film release for Fire & Ice? Well, since the big news, word has spread like wildfire (yes I know that's a pretty cliche phrase, but it's been a long week) and I wanted to share with you both the official Press Release AND the newspaper article that was published. Two positively giddy moments in time for me, I have to say.
I promise to keep you posted on things as they unfold. The journey from page to screen is pretty involved and a huge learning curve for me, so it's exciting to learn how things work behind the scenes. I look forward to sharing that journey with all of you!
Astraea Press is thrilled to announce it will join forces with Khando Entertainment to produce the film adaptation of debut author Michele Barrow-Belisle’s Amazon best-seller, the young adult fantasy Fire and Ice. The deal was brokered by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
Fire and Ice is the first book in the Faerie Song Trilogy, and the film option spans all three books. Audio Rights have already been sold to Audio Realms with negotiation for foreign territories already underwTwitter played a crucial role in bringing the project from the page to the screen. Barrow-Belisle connected with Khando Entertainment’s Ajay Nayyar on Twitter, by way of a mutual follower. Nayyar saw Barrow-Belisle promoting Fire and Ice on the social media site and requested a copy. When he started reading the book, he “couldn't put it down,” Nayyar says. “I visualized her brilliant writing with such ease, and I knew I was on to a winner.”
Fire and Ice is a teen fantasy romance novel and tells the story of eighteen-year-old Lorelei Alundra, a girl with a magical singing voice who has the power to heal with a touch. Lorelei has spent most of her life hiding from her talents, which are controlled by the dark faerie who gave them to her. Content with her normal life, Lorelei is unnerved by her inexplicable attraction to the new boy in her art class, who is as terrifying as he is captivating. When her mom falls critically ill, Lorelei follows the new boy into a world of Elves, Witches, and Faeries in an attempt to save her. Prophecies unfold and she finds herself trapped in their world, forced to fulfill a destiny she wants no part of as her reality becomes more terrifying than fiction.
Against a vivid, otherworldly backdrop, Fire and Ice explores the eternal debate: Are lives governed by choices we make or are our choices predestined from birth?
“I think it’s a theme people can relate to at any age,” says Barrow-Belisle.
The other books in the trilogy include Bittersweet and Darkest Light. With its journey from the best-seller list to theaters, Fire and Ice follows in the footsteps of young adult blockbusters like Twilight, Divergent, and The Hunger Games.
“The entire story played out like a movie in my mind as I wrote it,” says Barrow-Belisle, who received interest from other producers before connecting with Nayyar at Khando Entertainment. “It was exciting to meet a producer who saw the importance of having the author’s input. Seeing my stories brought to life on the big screen will be a dream come true.”
About the Author:
As a fan of everything romantic, her young adult novels are populated with witches and vampires and faeries. Michele resides in southern Canada with her husband and son who indulge her passions for writing, reading, lattes, and most of all chocolate. Fire and Ice is her debut novel.
http://www.MicheleBarrowBelisle.com
info(at)MicheleBarrowBelisle(dot)com
About Astraea Press
Astraea Press opened its doors in 2011 when Stephanie Taylor saw the need for a non-erotic digital publisher that offers wholesome reads, but still maintains the quality of mainstream romance. With over 60 books already available as audio books, multiple translation deals as well as having had a NYT bestseller and two USA Today bestselling titles, Astraea Press continues to bring great books to readers.
http://www.CleanReads.com
About Khando Entertainment Ltd.
Since opening in 2008, the Khando Production Team has produced, internationally, feature films and web series for over seven countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.
http://khandoentertainment.com/
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London author's bestseller heading to the big screen
MOVIE MAGIC
London author Michele Barrow-Belisle is getting ready to try out her screenwriting chops as her Amazon bestseller, Fire and Ice, is getting ready to make its way to theatres.
London Community News
By
Whitney South
For as long as she can remember, London author Michele Barrow-Belisle has believed in magic.
Understandable considering her first Amazon bestseller, Fire and Ice, revolves around a world full of fairies, where nothing is as it seems and where dreams become reality.
Now, Barrow-Belisle will get a chance to see her tale make its way to theatres, thanks to a little twist of fate and a maybe a little pixie dust.
After joining a bunch of social media groups for actors and casting directors, she was approached by a woman on Twitter who said she knew a producer who might be interested in adapting Fire and Ice to the big screen.
An unexpected but welcomed surprise for Barrow-Belisle, whose usual day-to-day involves working as a part-time preschool teacher and sculptor.
“I’m a big planner and I thought, this just fell into my lap so I’m not expecting anything at all,” the author explained. “I kept thinking — what are the odds?”
Turns out, they were pretty good after all.
Not long after their introduction, Barrow-Belisle found herself in the middle of a deal with UK-based agency, Khando Entertainment.
“I’m a fan of fantasy and after receiving a short synopsis of the story, I was very intrigued,” said producer Ajay Nayyar, adding while reading the book, the tale was one he just couldn’t put down. “It took me on a journey that I didn’t want to end.”
Follow that up with a number of conversations with the author herself and Nayyar was sold.
“I've never done something like this before, but it’s been on my list for a number of years,” he said. “We are delighted to have secured the film rights. Excited would be an understatement.”
A sentiment shared by Barrow-Belisle, who counted herself lucky to have found such a perfect fit.
“Right from the beginning the producer was 100 onboard with the importance of having the author’s input,” she said. “For them, it’s all about staying as true to the story as much as possible, which I thought was really great.”
Fire and Ice follows Lorelei Alundra, a girl gifted with two otherworldly talents for singing and healing, powers she’s shied away from for years. But when she meets the enigmatic Adrius, her uneventful life becomes irrevocably altered. Finding herself immersed in world of elves, fairies and witches, Lorelei must fight for what is right, where one mistake could put the fate of the magical world, and her soul, in jeopardy.
A tale rich with fantasy to be sure, but for Barrow-Belisle the story finds its roots stemming from an idea everyone can relate to.
“It’s just all about this journey, a battle between choosing your own destiny and what you’re fated to become,” she explained. “The whole time I was writing it — and I’m sure a lot of authors say this — I can see this playing as a movie, so I had that in the back of my mind.”
These days, Barrow-Belisle can certainly relate to the concept of creating her own fate as she makes the move from author to screenwriter, reminding fans never to give up on their dreams.
“It’s really exciting, I always loved writing and I always loved reading but I never considered it something I could do full-time,” she said. “I hope what’s happened gives other authors some hope about what’s possible, it’s an invitation to go for it — you never know what’s going to happen.”
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That was news Number Two.....
Keep reading the next post for the latest piece of news!..........
